


The Laughing Heart

by Chocolate_milk



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Duel Monsters, M/M, Sennen Items | Millennium Items, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2020-01-16 13:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18522580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocolate_milk/pseuds/Chocolate_milk
Summary: Darkness only grows, it doesn't leave -- Bakura can attest that. The darkness is constant, since he was sealed into the Ring the darkness has always kept him company.It's absurd to think he could change overnight, despite what his host believes, darkness is constant. Darkness doesn't change.Except when it does.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from a poem by the same name by Charles Bukowski  
> Kudos are much appreciated!

Bakura floated a few meters behind his host, uncrossing his arms and watching the kid stumble about and through the front door. Bakura sneered inwardly, watching his host shut him out without a glance. The lock went a second later. Bakura rolled his eyes.

He floated downward until his metaphysical feet met the ground. He stood there silently for a second, eyes slit. Half expecting... something, at least. But no, of course not.  
Bakura kicked the door. There was no impact. No resounding bang.

No one would hear him, no one could hear him-- or see him, even. Other than his host. But today his host seemed dead set on not hearing him either, or pretending not to.  
He gritted his teeth and floated straight through the hardwood.

Ryou, his ever so respectable host, (well, Landlord, really, Bakura was no parasite, just a friendly tenant...) had already kicked off his shoes and made a right turn into the kitchen. Bakura sent the glare equivalent of a mighty death-ray toward the back of Ryou's fluffy white hair. Stupid, fluffy white hair.

If Ryou knew what was good for him he would have thanked Bakura for the fact he still had a head of hair, if Bakura hadn't dealt with that damn PE teacher, who knew what he'd be left with. For someone so damn amicable all the time, he barely grazed the edge of appreciation. Well, whenever it came to the spirit anyway.

It was hard to stomach the fact that Ryou was supposedly his destined vessel. If destiny so exists, which, Bakura frowned, definitely didn't. But why couldn't he get a more agreeable one?

Or, at least one who skimped on silent treatment a little.

Bakura hovered toward the kitchen, where the door was left open this time. He could hear his host bumbling around before he could see him. The noise of metal-on-metal, albeit one he was very familiar with, the Ring pulsated from around his neck, wasn't pleasant music.

He could see Landlord stumbling around, grabbing pans and boards and placing them on the small amount of counter space he had. Bakura was almost certain neither of them liked the vegetables Ryou had already neatly stacked there, but Ryou was the kind of boy who seemed to enjoy torturing himself. It wasn't as though Bakura would be holding an intervention for him. Bakura didn't really care.

But... well maybe he did a little.

It wasn't as though he liked receiving the cold shoulder constantly, from his host of all people. Giving and receiving were too entirely different things and in that way Bakura was a giver.

Ryou continued his bustle. Humming, this time. Bakura snapped his head up at that, sneer building then dropping off his face completely.

Feeling a bit more comfortable today? It seemed wishful thinking after the truly abominable day they'd been having. School was always a drag for spirits.

Maybe Ryou was finally seeing reason, seeing the light, _seeing things my way_ , Bakura wondered, but that was definite wishfulness. Perhaps the boy was just acting more at ease? It was hard to tell the difference between the mundane life of Ryou Bakura and the rebellious act of ignoring his innocent tenant. The exciting life of a host, indeed.

Bakura had no trouble inciting the beast if that meant answers, especially if the beast was as benign as this. Ryou resembled only a housewife, prancing and humming around the kitchen like that. Harmless.

Bakura smirked. Continued watching the boy for a second longer.

"Hey," Bakura said.

...

Bakura watched and waited.

...

Bakura still watched and waited, irritation growing.

...

There was no formal indication that his host had even heard him, adding extra oil into a pan. Ignoring still; alike to how he had earlier in the day.

"Whatever..." He said only trying to patch up his pride. There was really nothing like being ignored; take it from him, he was a hardened guy. Well, hardened, hardened, that was a strong word, not meant in the sense that he was completely unaffected by petulance because anger seemed to be simmering below the surface. His eye quivered.

Bakura skulked back to the side even more. Ryou continued stir frying some type of root vegetable.

God, he was infuriating. Aggravating. In fact, the more he watched the kid the more annoying he seemed to become. Even the gentle patting of his steps sounded off kilter and began to stew in Bakura's inner pot of unhinged rage. His eye began to twitch. Ryou had stopped humming at this point, the only pointer that maybe he had heard Bakura. Not many could master the act of unassuming hums while they were in fact assuming.

Bakura, transparent and pasty as he was, began to redden.

The steady twitching of his eye became more and more uncontrollable and trembling waved over his body. He watched onward as Ryou turned the hob ring he had been occupying off and started with something else.

Why did he have to be so cold? So unlike the Ryou he often saw with the Pharaoh and his group of cronies-- It wasn't as though Bakura ever asked for this host. It wasn't as though he particularly wanted this host. It wasn't like he'd meant to ruin the kid's prim and proper, boring life! Just as it wasn't his fault the kid and the Ring were compatible...

"In fact, that's all on him," Bakura said, eyes skirting across the wall to his host, who had looked back in confusion-- finally giving some acknowledgement. Too late for that.

"You're an insolent dunce. You may not realize it, and you might even believe I'm the... the terrible one here... No, of course you do." Ryou seemed full on worried now, turning completely, abandoning his job at the counter.

"How do you think I feel?" Bakura asked, snottily turning his nose up and blindsiding Ryou. "You're the one who accepted the Ring, forcing me to live this pitiful existence with you. I get you friends, you reject them. I try and help you, you reject _me_. If I'm really so...." He huffed in thought.

Bakura's eye continued to twitch manically long after he shut his mouth and sealed his lips shut; mostly in shocked realization now. _So, I had been saying that all out loud?_ That had to be the reason Ryou had that scared looked in his eyes like a cornered animal, like caught prey.

Though it might save him the aftermath of this... whatever that might entail, maybe just his Landlord cowering around for a while.. He couldn't just disappear now-- his pride just wouldn't allow it. Besides, the more he began to recollect of his outburst the more concerning it got. _Since when have I let my emotions get the better of my like this, tch, definitely not since...back then..._ Bakura shook the thoughts off, staring off ahead instead.

His landlord appeared shell shocked, unmoving, hands held up to his chest stiffly. His eyebrows were brought upward slightly and his lips had an unmistakable quiver to them as to say he was either going to cry or had words nearly bursting to get out.

Bakura huffed. He couldn't imagine which was worst.

Although Landlord looked pitiful, truly, completely pitiful. Innocuous in a way only small animals could muster. Behind the glassy interior, Ryou's eyes held a surprisingly strong gaze. Like he wasn't going to just lie down and take it-- an amiable trait when it wasn't working against you.

"Spirit-- Bakura," Ryou said in a steady tone as though to cover up his uncertainty, his eyes skirted off to the side like he was considering something before his muddy green eyes snapped over again to meet Bakura's own. Ryou paused altogether then, looking like he was somewhere else.

Ryou looked pensive before shaking his head, dusting his hands off on his apron, turning on his feet and going right back to chopping a stem of ginger.

ARGH! The previously reared in anger boiled again-- see, it was that type of indifference, that type of I-don't-care-about-you attitude that made a guy's blood boil! If Ryou wanted to play it like that then... then by all means, he could.

A dull ache settled over Bakura's twitchy eye.

"You're different recently.." Ryou finally said quietly over the steady sound of chopping.

Bakura snaps his own mouth shut from the retort that was forming and blinks, crossing his arms. "Hm? Speak up."

Ryou placed the knife down and let his arms fall to his sides, turning to face the spirit with a steady gaze. "I was just thinking... You're different now.. since you came back," Ryou's eyes squinted suspiciously, "You're different now."

Bakura scowled, giving Ryou a once-over-- yep, delusional.

"Different?" Bakura found himself drawling the word, mulling over it in his head but drawing a blank. "Different? I don't believe there's anything.... different, as you say, about me, dear Landlord."

He wasn't someone to be swayed easily, if it was possible at all; for 3000 years he'd had the same motivation, the same goal. He wasn't so one who returned from the shadows suddenly a changed man. Not when justice went unserved, not when he had yet to properly deal his cards out.

Leave it to his host to be this naive.

Ryou furrowed his eyebrows, still at a slight squint. "You really.... You seriously haven't noticed anything?"

"No." He rewarded his host a harsh stare. "Don't waste my time." The Ring glinted in threat.

Ryou continued looking at him like he was searching for something in particular, something that surely wasn't there. His eyes were deep and inquiring. "You really haven't noticed?" He seemed tentative, like he was padding through unknown territories. "Ever since you returned this time round, you started acting like this... you've never been this way before."

Bakura rolled his eyes. Talk about vague."Acting like this? Pray tell, what is this?"

Ryou seemed unsure of the question, blinking slowly. He sounded careful when he started to talk: "Well... Firstly, you never tried to communicate before-- unless you wanted something particular. Now you just keep talking, or at least, I keep hearing you at the back of my head."

"How peculiar. I talk." Bakura didn't bother not being snarky with the kid. He had obviously been overthinking. Although, he would admit he had been throwing comments here and there more than usual, he'd give him that.

"I prefer not to be bothered sometimes," Ryou said with a tentative shrug, Bakura clenched his jaw. "You've also started... appearing more often. You use to just possess me, or communicate through the Ring. But now, you're just like--" Ryou gestured towards him, supposedly specifically his spirit form hovering only slightly above the floor tiles.

"Strange, truly," Bakura snapped. "I've been in there a millennia, to whom may it concern if I want some variety sometimes?" Besides, he would only possess the boy when he was dire need of a body. He had no issue letting the boy have some semblance of control most days, this temporary body was a happy medium.

Ryou didn't appear taken aback, just shook his head a little before turning back to the counter, rustling around a bit. Bakura leered from behind.

"Oh, is that all?" Bakura jibed, a sardonic grin on his face.

"No," Ryou said, walking back to the stove top with another pan. "Even this interaction is different to usual..." He didn't sound as though he was going to elaborate.

Bakura pondered this for a moment. "What's so different? In fact, I would go so far to perhaps say this is a prime example of all our little moments together: we talk, you accuse me of something, I calmly explain just how wrong you are." _You go mouthing off to the Pharaoh or the little twerp afterwards_ goes unsaid, _but, still applies_. Maybe Ryou would see reason this time.

Ryou remained indifferent, idly stirring the pot in front of him. Not over-interested in keeping the conversation going.

"Besides," Bakura said, staring intently at the back of Ryou's head. "Besides, I'm hardly the one acting different, you're the one who's changed," since he'd came back, he had noticed some differences in the boy, the newly acquired spine, for one. "Acting all high and mighty, ignoring me all day. Since when did you have the guts?"

He probed around for something to taunt him with, an embarrassing memory from the absent week, or whatnot. He frown, finding the memories suspiciously missing or blocked off. Since when did his host bother hiding anything from him? He wondered with a frown. No matter.

He trailed closer to his unaffected host, who was still busying himself with dinner-- which was taking an awfully long time in itself. He pressed a finger against the nape of Ryou's neck, who froze, before trailing it down his spine to mid back.

"You can't hide anything from me," he reveled in the trembling he felt from his host, "we're one of the same, you know."

There was a terse pause therein Bakura considered returning to the Ring.

"We are not the same," Ryou said, firmly, turning to meet his tormentor. They were a single step away from each other, nearly nose to nose. "I will never be like you."

Bakura scowled. "What?" His frown morphed into a smirk, "Can't handle the truth? Don't be so childish. The Ring only accepts a compatible soul, after all."

Ryou shook his head, looking away. "That doesn't mean anything." He turned to stare at Bakura again, an intensity in his eyes showing his belief in the statement.

No matter how fabricated it was.

Bakura's lips tightened, feeling annoyance simmering lowly under the surface, again. He spared Ryou one last disinterested look before disapparating back into the Ring.

Ryou continued to stare toward the wall for a little while longer before sighing and turning to eat his burnt food by himself.

.

"So when I opened the Packs, all I pulled were duds! You wouldn't believe it! Then Yugi opened his and--" Jounouchi waved his hands around theatrically. Although he was often brash, today he seemed extra so, drawing not-so pleasant looks from the other customers. Ryou felt himself drawing further into the bench. "Oh, crud! My drink!"

Mid-story, obviously at the most exciting part, his arm swung and knocked his soda cup. The cup fell with a thud and the lid popped off, the contents dripping around and off the table.

"Jounouchi!" Anzu shrieked, lifting their tray of food away from the offending liquid, skirting to the far edge of the bench and into Honda's side, to evade the soda tsunami coming her way. "It's dripping on me! Wipe it up, you idiot!"

"Ha! You're luck really is unbelievable!" Honda said, snatching up his food to hold it out the way.

Yugi was laughing at Ryou's side and Ryou found he also couldn't hold it in, giggling as he passed Jounouchi some napkins. He grabbed his own napkin and helped mop up the spill.

"No, get the sides! It's still dripping!" Anzu said, shooing Ryou's hand away and grabbing his cloth for herself.

"I know! I know!" Jounouchi stood to prove himself, exposing the unfortunately placed soda damp spot on his jeans. Yugi, Ryou and Honda keeled over in laughter once again, ignoring the dirty looks other patrons were sending. Despite herself, Anzu followed. Soon Jounouchi was laughing too, only feeling slightly embarrassed when an employer came to help him wipe it up.

"You got way too excited for story about cards..." Anzu said with a sigh after everything had settled down.

"Ask Yugi then! It was justifiable reaction to what he pulled." Jounouchi grinned and looked over Yugi, who sat across from him, whose cheeks were still flush from laughing.

Yugi's eyes lit up at that. "I did get some pretty rare cards," he said, excitement obvious as he reached for his pocket and pulling out some Duel Monster cards enveloped in a plastic casing. He laid the cards out in front of him on the table, careful to avoid any wet patches. Everyone leaned in to get a better look.

"See! Three ultimate rares and two ultra rares," Jounouchi said helpfully to those less involved in Duel Monsters specifications. "And he only bought seven packs."

"Oooh, they definitely look shiny."

"Not just that, they also hav--" Jounouchi whittled on, gaining Honda and Anzu's interest.

Ryou gazed at the cards, they all looked powerful. Though he wasn't all that well versed in the game, even a casual player could tell they were rare, if the foil finish wasn't anything to go by.

"Have you seen the new Booster Packs, Bakura?" Yugi asked, Ryou turned to see Yugi's inquisitive eyes on him. He always looked extra passionate at any mention of the card game-- or any game in general really. That was Yugi for you. Ryou shook his head at the question.

"You like Fiend type monsters, don't you?" Yugi said, grabbing one of the cards off the table and pushing it towards Ryou, _Dark Lucius LV8_. "I got this really strong one, but I don't have the other cards to summon it," Yugi laughed bashfully, "I got loads of other strong fiends as well, I thought they would work well in your deck."

Ryou offered him an uneasy smile before replying. He was forever glad that Yugi even bothered addressing him after the trifles he'd (unaware or not) dragged them through. But isn't it risky, he was left wondering, giving advice when the spirit could be listening in?

"I haven't touched my deck in so long," Ryou said, shifting his eyes to the side, "Even if I did manage to get a hold of those cards, I doubt I would know what to do with them." But certainly his tenant would, he thought with an inner grimace.

Truthfully, he felt guilty at the mere mention of the card game, still slightly shaken over the whole Battle City fiasco and the straight up exploitation of his deck. Knowing how he'd put so many people at risk just from grouping a load of cards together was surreal... Even being an unaware bystander felt unforgivable.

But, no... _that was the spirit, not me_ , Ryou reasoned. Habitually his hand rose to his mid torso to grope at the Ring.

Oh.

Yugi leant forward towards him, looking slightly concerned at the change on Ryou's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked, eyes flitting to where his hand was held at his chest. He had a worried expression if not apprehensive looking. Ryou bit his lip.

"I left the Ring at home." It felt odd to say out loud, or even consider. An anomaly if there'd ever been one. He didn't think he'd ever just forgotten the Ring, that just didn't happen. He remembered his dad commenting on his obsession with the Ring with slight concern, 'it's like you're never without it. You can't like it that much, can you?'

But it wasn't just 'like' that kept him and the pendant together, there seemed to be somewhat of a pull toward the item. Everyday he would awake to the feeling of himself pulling the Ring from his bedside table and placing the cord over his head, like second nature, before he even realized what he was doing.

In fact, it felt plain wrong to be without the Ring, a feeling of misplacement he couldn't very well describe. So how he had failed to notice today was an oddity.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Jounouchi said, loudly reasserting himself into the conversation. "I would relish my time away from that thing, if I were you!"

"Well, your not," Anzu said with her hands settled on her hips, glaring at uninhibited blonde before addressing Ryou. "He's right though. I might not fully understand the items, but the Millennium Ring is bad news, that's for sure."

Ryou found himself nodding with them. Resting his cheek on his hand, feeling slightly awkward from the attention. He usually stuck to the sidelines so feeling so many eyes on him was a little discerning.

"We might not know exactly what goes on between you and that creep in there, but if he's pressuring you to keep the Ring on--" Honda was saying.

"It's not that," Ryou protested weakly, waving his hands defensively. "It's just... the Ring..." He trailed off. The feeling of displacement. The comfort the Ring brought him. He shook it off, meeting Honda's eyes this time. "I suppose it's just habit. I've always kept it with me, ever since I was a child. It's feels weird without it."

Yugi nodded understandingly, as did Anzu. Honda still held an intense look in his eyes.

"Urg! Gives me the creeps just talking about it!" Jounouchi complained, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "I don't see how you can stand that thing. Especially when you were a kid!"

Honda leant back, sending Jou a taunting look. "Well, not everyone's a scaredy cat like you."

"Hey! Says you!"

Honda and Jounouchi fall back into bantering once again while Anzu mediated. Yugi sent him a look, before leaning over to him.

"I get it," Yugi says quietly, eyes softened and understanding. He had one hand resting over the Puzzle, and he looked down with a smile. "When me and the puzzle are separated.... it feels like a part of my soul has gone missing."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 :D  
> I hope you people reading this are enjoying it so far, I know I'm not the best writer so if you have any criticism I would love to hear it! Also please let me know if you see any formatting issues or typos  
> Also this should be pretty self explanatory but Bakura speaking to Ryou from the Ring is in bold. Inspired by how Crow talks to Kafka in the book Kafka on the Shore.  
> Chapter 3 might take a while to come out.... who knows  
> enjoy

.

Bakura found himself pacing the expanse of his soul room in an attempt to walk off any aggravation that stuck to him like a second skin. He was never one to hold in anger for too long-- the many people subjected to his rage in the past could vouch.

His soul room resembled the wide expanse of Egyptian desert he used to prowl oh so long ago, not so much a room but a landscape. He was the only one who could scope out where the many hidden compartments rested, a cave where he kept his stash of jewels, although they were nowhere near as flashy as the ones he used to possess. If you didn't know your way around the desert, you would surely perish. Mother nature was cruel in that way.

He kicked at the sand as he sauntered across the desert. Huffing as he made his way toward the cave.

Just what was so bad about being his host? He was considering this as he moved, sweat budding on his down turned brow. His mind was stuck on the kid-- the kid who'd left him dormant on a bedside table not long after tossing some baseless accusations.

Ryou was high on his hit list; after the Pharaoh and that lot. Or at least, he should have been. He couldn't silence the voice at the back of head whispering that the boy wasn't an enemy.

But, god, was he infuriating.

_What's so wrong with being like me, anyway?_ Bakura found his scowl deepening. Why was Ryou so dead set on them being stark different, life was never so dual, Ryou would one day learn. Bakura had learnt such as a boy; good and bad, light and dark, there wasn't a clear binary.

Besides, if being the big bad meant serving justice, of finally avenging his family... so be it.

He continued his trudging along the desert grounds but the repetitiveness was a killer. He had trekked the same routes for a millennia, it no longer served the relief it used to. He found he could no longer walk off the agitation, the sound of his mind constantly replaying the same sounds, he felt like a broken record. This was no recent installment.

In fact the Ring had begun to feel constricting around him, like it would close in at any moment and suffocate him. He supposed that was a recent change-- one Ryou failed attest the night before. His lips tighten at the thought.

Or maybe he had. The Rings peculiar change had left him taking refuge outside the pendant whenever he could, which manifested as him manifest _ing_ whenever he could. Trailing after the boy, watching him, it wasn't ideal but life kept wasn't. Ryou was his Keeper or his Host or his Landlord, it all meant the same thing, he thought bitterly, he was bound to the boy whether he liked it or not.

"Why do I put up with this?" He asked. The sand, helpful as it always was, did not reply. Bakura's frown twisted into a snarl, kicking the sand once more. "Yet there he is, in his nice soft bed and large warm room, thinking he has it worse than everybody!"

Bakura's anger often got the better of him, rearing it back wasn't something he ever bothered to learn. It was this same anger that kept him going all these years, he embraced it more than he disdained it.

He materialised outside the Ring, which laid on Ryou's bedside table next to an alarm clock, a few books, his cellphone and a lamp.

10:23. He stood over the bed, gazing down at Ryou, who was long under the spell of sleep. He knew the boy should have been awake at this time but couldn't bring himself to care. Or do anything about it.

The feeling of aggravation grew the longer he watched the boy. He still felt... irked by the boy's previous declarations. He crouched by the bed, head level with Ryou's own, watching him closer. You wouldn't be able to tell just by studying him, but Ryou was a troublesome host. Always getting in the way of things. Always trying to ruin his plans.

Destiny was a rigged device. The underdog was always fated to the short end of the stick, all whilst those like the Pharaoh bounced around without a care in the world.

Things were never that easy for the King of Thieves.

He continued to watch the boy, slowly falling into a trance like state. His pure white hair fell over his peaceful face, his eyelashes brushing over his under eyes as he slept. He was easy to become enthralled by, Bakura supposed, if you succumbed to such things, anyway.

Bodily, Ryou was inept; fragile, even. Bakura's lips tightened at that. His physical state was laughable, not up to standards at all. But he was usable.

If only he was more appreciative or compliant. Compliance... Right, that was something Ryou lacked.

The duvet cover rustled, catching the spirit's attention. Bakura watched as Ryou yawned and rubbed at his eyes, stretching lazily under the blankets. A hand poking out his covers to tilt the clock toward him.

"No way. I slept in," Ryou spluttered, shooting up, hitting his head against the headboard. "Ack!" Ironic, really. He rushed out from his bed, right through Bakura who blinked.

_Right, he can't see me unless he's got the Ring on._ Not a detail he usually overlooked.

He hid himself-- not disappearing but not showing up in his spirit form for when Ryou plopped the Ring on. He watched the kid bustle around, grabbing his hair brush and clothes folded up on his drawers from the night before. It was strange to see him in such a rush, Ryou was (most of the time) a fairly apt boy. He watched him pass the Ring again, grabbing his phone, still rubbing his head soothingly.

Agitation grew in Bakura's not-so physical bones, the need to feel against wind his skin and rushing through his hair. The need for fresh air, something his soul room couldn't supply him.

Ryou continued his scurrying around, seizing his wallet and forcing it into his pocket from the trousers he'd slipped into a minute previous.

Bakura observed Ryou who seemed to be going through some sort of checklist, muttering to himself and checking through his pockets. Before exclaiming 'keys!' and jaunting off to where ever he'd left them. The prior agitation only grew, only now with his irritation from before.

There was no way.... No, he shook his head. Ryou wouldn't just forget the Ring.

There went the unmistakable sound of the door opening, closing, lock clicking shut.

...

Bakura's eye twitched. The silence felt, corny or not, deafening. He kept himself braced to hear Ryou rush back through all bashful to pick up the Ring, but the unmistakable sound of footsteps outside the flat spoke volumes. A vein popped up against his forehead.

Something flared inside of him, annoyance bubbling in his chest. He took a deep breathe, but when did that ever change anything? He huffed, a growl low on his throat, going back to his soul room.

The sand against the soles of his feet is less than welcome, the stagnant air is less than welcome. Bakura snarled, kicking the desert sand and when that didn't feel like enough, kneeling down, filling his fists and throwing as hard as he could.

He let out a puff of breathe, biting his lip before stalking off.

His sneer slowly morphed into a smirk as he walked, the aura around him becoming darker and darker. If Ryou was willing to forget him-- to leave him on a dastardly table, for heaven's sake! Then he'd just have to be willing to accept his fate when he returned.

A lesson in compliance was long overdue, after all.

 

.

 

Ryou scattered into the house, almost forgoing to kick his shoes off in his hurry. The door clicked shut behind him which he pays no mind, rushing through the hallway down to  
his bedroom. He slammed his bedroom door open, skittering to his bedside table and kneeling in front of it.

Lo and behold, the Millennium Ring lay dormant staring up at him. Ryou let out a long overdue sigh, staring down into the accusing eye of Wadjet. He couldn't help the feeling of guilt that spread through him -- though he squashed it with the relief that overcame him.

He picked up the item, relishing it's heaviness in his hands, the metal against his skin.

He placed the cord over his neck. The previous misplacement he'd felt diminished. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the peacefulness; like pieces of a puzzle falling into the right slots as the Ring clanked against his chest.

Like his soul was completed, somehow.

His eyes opened then, the thought wasn't a comforting one. He tried to ignore the budding up memory of yesterday evening whilst Yugi's words resounded in his head.

_A compatible soul_ , Bakura had said.

_Like a part of his soul was missing_ , Yugi told him.

"No, certainly not," He said to himself and shook the thoughts off, swallowing dryly. It wasn't like that.

He glanced at the clock and cringed, 1:30, he hadn't been gone that long but he doubted the spirit would appreciate his tardiness. The Ring and him rarely separated but when they did the Spirit often believed a sort of punishment was in order. Whether that meant a week long blackout, a few more miniatures on his shelf or gruesome night terrors, Bakura didn't let him off easy.

Those thoughts clashed with the relief of finally having the Ring against his chest again, there were always caches to things like these. Studying the occult had taught him that much.

He took a deep breath, head jolting up. The scenery began fading into a purple haze, encompassing the room. Shadows looming above him and over him as a dark mist settled over the room. His eyes darted around as he shot up onto his feet.

It was the spirit's doing, that was undeniable.

He was prepared for this, he knew Bakura would be mad. He stood his ground, staying alert as more and more of his room succumbed to the darkness. He held a strong gaze whilst he anticipated the spirit's arrival. He swallowed the lump in his throat along with any lingering anxiety.

"Show yourself already," Ryou called into the dark mass, his voice echoed back to himself mockingly. There was no use beating around the bush.

He hoped Bakura wouldn't want to prolong the encounter too much.

His hopes were met and thus crushed when a piercing chuckle that filled the room and reverberated around. He faltered, stepping backwards into the shadows. It was a sinister sound that instantly put him on edge. At least he wasn't stringing it out too much, it was only so long until he would finally appear. Who knew what would happen then.

The spirit scared him, it wasn't something that could be helped.

The shadows began twisting and contorting around the space his wall should have been, the tendrils of darkness circling up, taunting him. Ryou bit back a yelp as the darkness grabbed and wrapped around his ankle, he kicked it off. He revolved around the room, nerves on fire. He tried to catch his doppelganger as he appeared to avoid being snuck up on. He didn't want to be taken off guard.

**Foolish boy, you thought you could be rid of me that easily? That you could defy me? Leaving me here, tch! You mortals are all the same.**

Ryou jumped at the voice, the spirit still yet to appear. Another cruel bout of laughter shook the room, echoing off the not-walls (just dull purple mist at this point), jabbing at him.

"It was an accident. It's not as though I'd forget it on purpose!" Ryou insisted back, still circling on the spot. He knew it futile, but lying down and just taking it, whatever it would be, was coward's play.

**Ha! You forget how easily I could dispose of you, host or otherwise.**

How could I? Ryou wondered with a gulp, terror settling deep in his gut. Goosebumps prickled over his arms. The shadows had begun to ripple and bubble at a corner but he ignores it.

"You know what I know; you can hear my thoughts can't you?" Ryou felt desperate now, voice breaking whilst his nerves soared, his hands had a dull shake to them but he ignores it.

He was confident in his argument but since when did logic stop the Ring spirit? They'd reached the usual stale mate; neither listened to the opposing argument. From thereon it was survival of the fittest. In a situation like this, the thing is, the fittest is always the person with magic.

**I don't bother with such things. Besides, I don't hear your pitiful thoughts unless you have the Ring on, which, hmm, you didn't.**

Ryou blanched, pallid as a corpse. Bakura sounded nothing if not taunting. He gestured to the Ring that hung now around his neck, feeling panic rising to his throat where he can't quite manage to gulp it down.

"But it's here now!" He fixated on the feeling of misplacement from earlier, hoping to send it to Bakura somehow, but he wasn't sure how to do that. "You know. You must know. I would never forget the Ring... Purposely!"

**Actions speak words you never could.**

"But--" Ryou cut himself off suddenly, halting his obsessive circling around the room. His eyes were stuck on the shadows that were still ripple but now _growing_ also. Morphing. In the space where his was, or should have been, the lilac shadows were twisting in a strange type of dance.

Ryou stood awestruck. He had the vague sense that Bakura, although not present (not fully, physically), was watching too. He shook that thought off, for all he knew, Bakura was the one being formed by the shadows. That seemed to be what was happening -- the shadows were forming into some type of being.

He blinked, stepping further backwards. Gasping once the darkness finished forming. It wasn't the spirit like he'd suspected.

They were monsters-- Duel Monsters, it looked like.

He stood in awe. Upon assessing them he realized they were alike to those from his own card collection. Grotesque monsters, horror themed, breath caught in his throat. It was fine to stare upon the cards, gruesome as they were, but in real life they left him fear stricken.

One resembled a winged goblin, a mouth lying sideways over the bottom of his face, splitting uncomfortably. He couldn't fathom to remember it's name. Winged goblin? Flying minion? He couldn't recall.

The other, _Necroface_ , he recognized this one straight away. It's baby-faced shell staring right at him, coils of shadowy flesh cusped around and bursting through it's mask.

While Ryou stood shell shocked, the monsters appeared to be stretching their limbs before assessing him. Upon looking closer, Ryou concluded that the Monsters weren't just observing him, they were actively floating towards him.

He let out an undignified yelp, turning on his heel and scrambling furthering into the oblivion.

"You're going to kill me? Just like that?!" Ryou yelled out to the spirit who was now MIA since the monsters appearance, take it for Bakura to be so cruel. Summoning these beasts and pulling a runner. Was it really fit punishment? Death? It seemed like overkill.

He continued running into the darkness, the shadows under his feet felt weightless, as though he was running across a cloud. The scenery was unchanging, just grim, dark mass. The only signal that he even progressed further was that the creatures' deep grunts settling into the distance. He couldn't risk looking back. He screwed his eyes shut and continued his sprint.

The low grumbling was only gaining on him.

Ryou rushed forward anyhow, the feeling of dread only growing larger inside of him. Until he collided with something hard, shoving him backwards at the impact onto his backside, cushioned by the dark interior.

He shook in terror with adrenaline rushing through his veins, couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. He could hear the Duel Monsters clambering toward him. He wasn't a fool -- he saw the look in their dead eyes. They were going to kill him. People often spoke of the moments of tranquility before death but that couldn't be true. All Ryou felt was dread.

They seemed a breath away, grunting right by him. Ryou braced for the attack, hand over his face protectively. Trepidation wrapped his limbs down to his bones but he tried to hold still.

Dying with a shred of dignity would be nice.

Who was he kidding, _death by Duel Monster_ , what was less dignified than that?

"Hellions! Go back to where you came from!" A loud, demanding voice sounded from above him. Not the voice Ryou expected to fill him with relief. Alike to his own voice but Bakura held a tone that commanded respect, submission.

His eyes snapped open to find Bakura's harsh outline towering over his space on the ground, bony hands grasped on his hips. He had a stance to be reckoned with, that was for sure. Ryou scurried up and securely behind the Yami, watching the monsters scatter into the grey-purple distance.

Ryou let out a long, shaky sigh. Relief popping up and leaving as soon as it appeared.

Now that he stood his legs felt flimsy without the additional flight-or-fight adrenaline that pumped him up before. He stared into Bakura's back and forced himself to stay upright. The longer he stared, the true threat of Bakura's presence piped up in the back of his head.

_He's playing mind games with me now?_ Apprehension ebbed at him, gaze shifting to the back of Bakura's messy mane of hair. _He summoned them just to terrify me, right? Maybe he's trying to play hero and trick me again._ Duelist Kingdom was long since a memory by now, but the way he let himself be tricked was still fresh in his mind.

Bakura reached behind him and grabbed Ryou's upper arm in an instant, dragging him along behind him. Ryou let himself be pulled along on shaky legs. They were going toward the direction he came from.

"I don't know what type of person you take me for but, hear this," Bakura said, letting a pause sit between them, he sounded snappy, "I do all my dirty work myself. I don't need lowly henchmen like them to tarnish my work." Bakura's grip tightened around his arm.

Ryou swallowed, stumbling along. Work? He guessed Bakura meant this 'punishment'... But, henchmen, that meant...

"...Didn't you...? Wasn't that... Um... Those monsters..?" Ryou's eyebrows pinched up, he couldn't muster up a sentence. His mind was running a mile a minute, his body hadn't decided if it was excited or near-death yet and he was left with an insistent shiver of anticipation, his mind completely elsewhere.

"Didn't I say? I don't need henchmen or slaves, I do all my work myself." Bakura stopped walking, Ryou did too.

"They just appeared out of nowhere?" Ryou found that hard to believe, but looking around, anything seemed possible in this place. The interior didn't seem of this world, just hazy dark shadows, swirling and twisting into the scenery. Where was this anyway? Although Bakura had brought him here before, on their first real meeting, he was still none the wiser.

Bakura was silent as if to say 'didn't I already tell you'.

"Where is this place, anyway?" Ryou asked. He really couldn't tell, it felt familiar somehow. But he wasn't in his room anymore, the shadows transported them somewhere else entirely.

"The Ring."

Ryou looked down at the Ring then, Bakura's terse words repeating in his head. He let out a dry, unbelieving laugh before letting it drag out into silence. He frowned then. The more he considered it, the more creditable it seemed. The Ring glinted at him, rumbling against his chest.

"There are monsters in here?" He pointed to the innocent pendant on his chest. He masked his fear with bemusement; he'd liked to think there was only one entity in the item. One was bad enough.

Bakura was silent, uncaring of Ryou's confusion. He let go of Ryou's arm, who wobbled on his flimsy legs to keep himself up.

"There shouldn't be." Bakura looked back at him, causing Ryou to recoil. He held sharp eyes, and... and... Ryou bit back a gasp, stumbling backwards. "It was a blunder on my part; thinking you could summon them. You just attract trouble, don't you?"

"What hap--" Ryou stepped back, wavering, grabbing his eye.

Bakura stepped forward, talking over his host, a cruel glint in his eyes. "I guess I could summon them back, finish what they started. What do you think, Landlord?"

"No." The human boy's breath quickened, his grip on his eye didn't change. Ryou's gaze was firmly fixed onto the marred skin under Bakura's right eye. "But what I was saying wa--"

Bakura grappled Ryou's arm again, hauling him closer toward him. In a blink of an eye they're out of the Ring, back in Ryou's modest bedroom. His grip held firm.

Ryou looked up and around to find everything as it was and how it should be... except...

One shadow laid across the floor, like the spirit might've been a mirage of some kind. Ryou blinked languidly, almost unsure if he was really here. He looked up then, at the spirit who still stared down at him, the scar that definitely hadn't been there last night staring down at him too.

Ryou gulped, stepping back to find Bakura still held a rigid grip around his arm. Bakura tightened his grip to the point Ryou wondered if his blood flow would be cut off completely.

"Let go!" Ryou began struggling against the rough grasp on his fore arm, bony fingers dug tightly against his flesh. Panic was once again beginning to rise in his throat. If the spirit had a scar like that... Since Bakura's body was but a mirror image of his own, meaning it must've originated from Ryou's own face.

Since when did a scar like that materialise overnight?

Bakura shoved him forward, frowning down at him.

"Please, you can't be that scared... I haven't barely started yet," Bakura drawled, frown morphing into a sardonic looking smirk. His free hand reaching to grab Ryou's other hand, preventing the boy from struggling too hard. "You really are pathetic, Host."

Ryou appeared nothing if not shaken. He weakly pulled against Bakura to no avail, he'd given up escaping the grip before he'd tried. He lamely looked forward, back to Bakura who was scrutinising him right back.

"What did you do to me?" He couldn't keep the panic out his voice. He could only guess the scar was Bakura's doing, Ryou had certainly not been in any fights or falls recently. He could only think of one person who also resided inside of him who might come out and injure the body.

But how did it scar up so quickly? Ryou found himself at a loss. A shadow game, he supposed, that logic was always skewered.

But then, in what time-space did it all take place? Ryou swallowed, unless the spirit had found a way to manipulate time; though he was sure that his tenant would have abused that power a lot more than just scarring the body.

It didn't add up. Nothing seemed to. When the Millennium Items were involved, things generally didn't.

"What's wrong with you?" Bakura asked, exasperated and scowling. His mouth twisted into a cruel sneer.

Ryou yelped when he found himself shoved backwards, Bakura releasing his grip on his arm. Flung back, Ryou stumbled before hitting the floor. The impact was harder than before, his bedroom floor rather than the light cushions of shadow. He fell into a sit and grimaced, staring up at Bakura.

Bakura stood over him, hair shadowing over his face, obscuring the scarred skin from vision.

Ryou took one deep and steady breath, gave Bakura a lingering glance that the spirit didn't care to recuperate before rising on wobbly legs and bolting out the bedroom. He sprinted through the corridor to the bathroom conveniently opposite Ryou's bedroom.

He pulled the door open and rushed to the mirror over the sink, bracing himself over the counter to get a closer look.

His eyes met the meek green ones in the mirror, which blinked and shimmered. He let out a puff of breath, confused. He stared at the skin of his under eyes down to the top of his cheekbones. He blinked once more, inching closer to the mirror.

He felt Bakura materalise behind him but the mirror did nothing to indicate so.

He took his two fingers and stretched the skin under his right eye meaningfully, as though if he tried hard enough the scar would magically appear. But no matter how hard he looked the skin was as clear and unmarred as the rest of his face.

The coarse scarred cut down the spirit's eye was stuck in his mind. Bakura must've done something, something, something evil, stolen the body again. The image in the mirror began to resemble more a scared child.

Ryou found it was hard to quench panic despite what the mirror told him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. His eyes fell downcast. Bakura cleared his throat behind him.

"Are you quite done?" Bakura's voice traveled around the small room.

"What did you do...? How did that happen?" Ryou shot around, turning to face his doppelganger. The scar was stark in contrast to Bakura's pasty skin tone. Ryou found his eyes trained to it whether he wanted them to or otherwise. Just how did it get there? Was it just an illusion? Ryou's eyebrows cinched downwards in thought.

It wasn't there last night, that was for sure. But that left Ryou at the same stalemate as before. When did Bakura get the wound, unless he'd learnt to materialise without a host. The thought brought Ryou to freeze. Or, somehow Bakura learnt how to manipulate time? The longer he dwelled on it the less feasible either seemed.

If he'd learnt to do all that, Bakura would've done far worse than gain a single scar.

Bakura had both arms crossed over his chest, gaze piercing through his host. A single eyebrow was raised, but he hardly looked patient enough to amuse either of them. He looked nothing if not on his last straw. He let out a huff before addressing his host once more.

"I asked before and I won't ask again," Bakura had a harsh gaze and his voice had a sense of finality to it, "What?"

Ryou's breath quickened, but nonetheless, he returned Bakura's gaze with a steady look. He pointed to his own eye, although his was distinctly lacking the crossed marking. Bakura sent him a withering look. They exchanged a clueless gaze for longer than necessary.

Ryou stopped, hand dropping to his side, perplexed at Bakura's reaction, or lack thereof. It wasn't like Bakura didn't know... It couldn't... Of course, he reasoned to himself, the parasite was cunning and well planned at the best of times. He was just playing another mind game. Bakura couldn't be... unaware.

He tried again, gesturing once again to his own eye. Despite what Ryou expected Bakura seemed as puzzled as Ryou felt.

"This is pathetic," Bakura snapped, at his whit's end. He glanced away, before his attention snapped back to his host. Ryou felt himself being stared down and frowned. Bakura's hands left their spot across his torso and fell to his hips instead.

"Your eye," Ryou said finally, too quiet for Bakura to hear. He tensed when he saw Bakura make move toward him. His footsteps didn't make a peep as he walked across.

Ryou stepped back on autopilot as Bakura closed in on him, shoulder's stiff and worry bubbling up once more (had it ever stopped?). He found himself stuck, as his lower back pressed against the counter, Bakura striding closer toward him.

Ryou broke the sharp gaze between them to stare to the side as Bakura was a mere meter away. He backed up further, leaning backward over the sink as Bakua got closer and closer until their noses almost touched. The breath froze in Ryou throat.

Bakura placed an arm either side of Ryou, bracing himself against the sides of the sink, much the same way Ryou had before. Staring down at his host, who finally looked toward him again. Ryou's eyes trained to Bakura's right eye straight away, Bakura scowled.

"One last time: What?" Bakura spoke slowly as though Ryou hadn't understood him the first time, making sure to enunciate properly. His sharp eyes appeared demanding. "What?"

Ryou swallowed, sweating near profusely now, his knees felt a bit weak. The spirit was an Enigma and if there was anything that scared people; it was the unknown. Ryou was no different. He swallowed again and tried to muster up words.

Bakura continued to stare down at him, watching Ryou stammer despite himself. He rolled his eyes after a while, backing off only a smidgen and 'tsk'ing. He crossed his arms again.

"You're useless."

Ryou fell forward slightly, chest clearing up more than he'd expected from the spirit just moving away a little bit. He looked up at Bakura, who, sure enough, still stared down at him.

"...Your eye," Ryou said after taking a deep breath, mimicking his same gesture from earlier, motioning towards his own eye.

"My eye," Bakura repeated, a morbid smirk crossing his features. Ryou couldn't help noticing how devilish the scar made him look-- like it belonged there somehow. Bakura let out a sardonic cusp of laughter. "My eye, hm? Now that we've got that out of the way, let's continue."

"No!" Ryou pushed at Bakura's chest when he began closing in on him again, a sadistic intent fresh undoubtedly fresh in Bakura's mind. Ryou grasped Bakura's upper arm and pushing Bakura in front of the mirror instead. "A scar-- under your right eye."

That made Bakura pause, a hard look crossing his features. He became more malleable to Ryou insistence until he was stood staring into the mirror. The vacant mirror. The reflection was that of Ryou stood to the side looking up intently, hands grasped around thin air. Bakura scowled.

Ryou monitored Bakura's expression, waiting any sort of shock or lack thereof. He checked the mirror and blinked.

"Oh!" Spirit's did lack reflection after all, along with ghost and the like. Ryou hit himself mentally, he usually wasn't one to forget those details. Then the more he considered, a feeling of deflation overcame him. Just how could he show Bakura then? "Oh.."

"'Oh' indeed!" Bakura snapped, turning to give Ryou a harsh look. A smirk grew when he saw Ryou flinch at the movement. "I'm beginning to think this is all a farce to distract from your punishment..." not that he didn't think as much before; but at the mention of a scar across his eye...

Well it was troubling really. Wounds from the past couldn't have just reopened overnight. He didn't appreciate his host mouthing off about nonsense, anyway.

"How can I show you..?" Ryou had an edge of desperation teetering on his expression, Bakura shot him a bored look. "This might be a long shot, but, you should take over... maybe it'll--"

Bakura's jaw clenched, huffing out a breath of air.

The next second he pushed his way into the body, sending Ryou's spirits out and sprawling across the floor. He wasn't happy about it, but, he reasoned that this was the quickest way to go about it. Check, it's not there, resume punishment. There was no issue in satisfying curiousity, after all.

Bakura sent Ryou a look. It was strange to see his host in this form, usually Ryou was long locked away when Bakura took over. But he had a point to make. He would make Ryou feel like a fool for attempting to swindle out of his punishment, for attempting to deceive the undeceivable.

Bakura span on his heels towards the mirror, hearing Ryou get to his feet behind him. Somehow he already knew what he would see. A mirage of the past, you could say.

"Um.. Is it there?"

He faced the mirror now, choosing to ignore Ryou's feeble questioning, walking forward until he was flush against the counter and leaning in slightly once again. The once-wound was reddish-brown in colour and started just under his eye down to his lower cheek. The scar tissue was textured and shiny, and somehow seemed like it belonged on his face--even when it wasn't his face. Or at least, not the original one.

There was no mistaking it, this was his scar.

"You don't seem shocked," Ryou said from beside him, Bakura glanced to his side to see the boy was stood on his right, examining the scar for himself. There was an unmistakable worried edge to face but it was hard to pick out from the look of accusation.

Bakura felt his jaw tighten, he went back to examining the scar's reflection, running a finger over it.

"What would you rather I do? Shout about it? I know as much about this as you," Bakura replied tersely.

"That sounds unlikely..." Ryou said quietly, still gazing at Bakura's profile. Bakura considered sending him to his soulroom. "I guess at least now my friends will be able to tell us apart."

_Shit!_ Bakura's hand froze and his face darkened, unbeknownst to Ryou who was lost in his own musings. His hand dropped and grasped the side of the sink in a smoldering grip. That threw off his plans for the Pharaoh and that lot down the gutter. Deception had proved to be a valuable asset when it came to their little group.

It wasn't as though Yugi and the other's would just look over a scar like this -- especially if they found that it was constantly appearing and reappearing -- naive as they were, that was stretching it.

His eyes slot over to Ryou. A pawn would be useful, after all.

Maybe he could work this situation in his favour still. It was a thieves specialty to make the most out of a bad spot.

"You really don't know?" Ryou asked apprehensively, head tilted.

"No." He found himself thinking back but no matter how hard he thought nothing stood out. He hadn't encountered anyone with the power to do something like this. He glanced over at Ryou who looked towards him still and schemed inwardly.

"No," Bakura said again, he swiveled his hand to the side meaningfully "I don't know how it got here. On this body, anyway."

That seemed to pique Ryou's interest, who leant forwards slightly, obviously listening intently.

"On this body?" Ryou asked, confusion mixed with slight dread gracing his face. "So a different body? Another one?"

"Ha! indeed," Bakura clapped his hand together lazily, smirking and turning to face Ryou directly. "I'm not shocked to see this scar, because it's the same one I lived with over three thousand years before."

 

.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally updating... sorry for anyone actually waiting for this, i'm an incredibly slow writer. This chapter's mostly build up to next chapter-- and god knows when that ones coming out LOL  
> thanks for any comments or kudos, i really appreciate it. i'm going to try and keep working on and getting through it a bit faster, although it really makes me cringe at some parts  
> thanks for reading and not giving up on this!

Ryou listened while Bakura recounted tales from his past. Or what Ryou would be lead to believe was Bakura's past. The long-forgotten Thief King, wisping through Egyptian markets, angry for justice. Scrimmaging for fairness, for what he'd lost but still deserved.

"A vessel?" Ryou questioned midway through the story. Currently, gazing at Bakura's mean face, the singular trait between the spirit and Thief King was the scar that ran down their eye.

"No," Bakura said, eyebrows downcast. "Well, perhaps," added as an afterthought. A vessel to Zorc, maybe, but Ryou hardly had to know that. "No. My own body. My original body."

"Oh," Ryou said. He opened his mouth and shut it again, staring at Bakura, a pensive look on his face.

Bakura continued. He turned to the mirror, staring deeply. There was a time when the scar struck fear into the brashest of men's hearts, but now, on this body, it lacked some of what it used to be. Stuck in a scrawny body that didn't begin to mirror his own. 

Bakura frowned. He hadn't thought back to those times for so long.

He turned, finding Ryou next to him staring quizzically at him.

"What?" He asked, gruff.

"You really..." Ryou faltered and seemed to reconsider, tilting his head to the side in thought. "You don't know why it's there? The scar."

"I told you before, didn't I?" Bakura snapped back, placing his hands on his hips. He looked away from Ryou, scowling -- it was as much of an enigma to him as it was to the boy, if not more so. He rather fancied going off alone to deal with it than throwing around baseless 'why?'s, 'what's or 'how's.

He needn't bother with the pitiful questioning of his host. But of course, it wasn't going to be that easy.

The host's trust would be easily broken and hard to gain, if he wanted to use the boy for his own gain-- now or later-- he would have to start laying the first few bricks now. The thought was infuriating and difficult.

But, Bakura had been through worse. He wouldn't let the kid become more of a problem. Or his own 'problem' more of a setback.

"Really?" Ryou sounded sombre. He studied Bakura, scouring for something.  "I don't know either... Since this my body I have to find out what's going on." 

Of course you don't know! Bakura wanted to scream. Bakura huffed out a breath and a snort of sardonic laughter, none of which wavered the strong look in Ryou's eyes. 

The scar appeared like an uninvited guest.

"By all means, find it out. We both deserve to know," Bakura said, half spat, "have the right to know."

Ryou looked down, expression falling before looking up at Bakura again. He stumbled over his words for a second, frowning.

"What I wanted to say... Was trying to say..." Ryou huffed, begrudgingly meeting Bakura's eye. "I'll help you. I want to find it out too."

Bakura crossed his arms, watching his host, considering him. He hadn't expected Ryou to fall into his plans so readily. By Ryou's almost angry flush, he hadn't either.

"If you must."

.

Saturday soon passed, a day not soon forgotten if the rush of excitement meant anything. If it wasn't the excitement then the scar, the Thief King, the Duel Monsters, they would plague Ryou's mind for eternity. Ryou had been thinking that, at least.

While Saturday had indeed been all that, Sunday came and passed with the same energy as a deflated balloon in a tree.

Ryou wasn't sure what he expected but he expected at least something. Words from the spirit. A wormhole to open in the sky. A new duelling tourney announcement, they always popped up after a strange incident. At least something. Anything.

Especially, after the change in his Yami -- if there even had been one. Ryou frowned to himself. The spirit was back to his usual quiet and cunning self. A recipe for disaster. Although the scar was a new increment, that's for sure. Maybe that was all the change there was and Ryou was battling paranoia. But he was certain (or at least, had been certain) that Bakura had been acting different, more human even.

Instead, Sunday passed with some homework and a call from his father. Although he hadn't heard from his dad for a few weeks, this was less than noteworthy.

He'd been hoping to study Bakura more. To figure out if there's a correlation between the spirit and that Thief King. Ryou pondered this as he buttered his toast. If that boy even existed.

Although it did add up... he supposed any story of gaining a long gash across his eye would have added up. For all he knew the Spirit was like the Other Yugi; ignorant of his past. In the spirit's case, also, blinded by some need for revenge.

"Why did I agree so quickly?" Ryou questioned, sitting down for breakfast. He woke up long before his alarm was roaring to go so he settled on having a leisurely Monday morning. But so far, his thoughts had resisted at the mention of leisure.

It always wound up like this when the Ring spirit was involved.

Ryou sighed and settled his cheek on his hand, staring down at his bread and jam. It looked a lot less appetising than prior. He ate anyway, the charred bottom of his toast making him wince. Couldn't he have cake?

Now that he thought about it, the boy who Bakura spoke of couldn't be the spirit. The Thief King, despite his illicit gallivants, was a strong-willed and justice orientated guy, apparently. Why would someone like that reduce to the spirit? Vengeful and cunning, as well as that, nosey and insistent.

Or, the boy was the spirit, but a reimagined version. Maybe the spirit had been a pickpocket on the streets of Egypt, homeless and angry at the world. Channelling that hate into an infatuation of revenge against... Other Yugi? It didn't make sense

"No use dwelling on it, I suppose. Besides, I already agreed to help." Ryou couldn't get the glum note out his voice. "Not to help him," he clarified to himself, it always felt better hearing it out loud, "but to put my mind at ease."

He sighed, resigning from the table, leaving his half-eaten breakfast behind. It was time to start getting ready for school, anyhow.

His usual before school routine did nothing to shake his pondering, banal as it was. Ryou wasn't easily swayed from a topic of interest or a mysterious endeavour.

He checked through his bag before showering, placing his uniform and the Millennium Ring in a neat pile in the bathroom. Afterwards, he dressed, pausing at the Ring but slung it on after moments of consideration. He didn't want a repeat of Saturday's events. No, definitely not. 

**Of course you don't. There's no reason why you would. I hope you're still up for our little union. You're not that temperamental, hm?**

Ryou's face soured, looking away from the Ring with a huff.

"Of course I'm not," Ryou said back, out loud. "Besides, if I'm helping to get to the bottom of this, I'll need the Ring with me."

**Ah, yes. Our allegiance won't be futile I hope.**

"What do you mean by that?" Bakura said nothing. "I don't see you making any other plans."

**Plans...**

Bakura said nothing else, causing Ryou to quirk his eyebrow. He pulled a hairbrush through his hair, knowing he'd have to be out of the door soon. Closer to school, thus, closer to Yugi. Closer to Other Yugi. Ever closer to maybe finding a conclusion to the predicament.

"What? Curious?" Bakura, once again, didn't reply. Ryou smiled, sombre, sighing. He really didn't know what the spirit thought. "I'm going to catch Yugi before school. Other Yugi might know about this."

Like that, Ryou felt a welling up of glum energy gather around the Ring. It hung heavy on his neck, rumbling ominously. He could tell the spirit was displeased. Ryou placed his hairbrush on a counter.

"What? Do you have a better idea?" Ryou asked, beginning a slow trot towards his front door, walking and talking. The Ring held a contemplative silence, or what felt like one. Ryou raised an eyebrow. "Even if he doesn't know anything, what's the harm in asking?"

The spirit was still quiet when Ryou locked the door behind him, starting the long walk to Domino High. He left with plentiful time so he'd linger for as long as he needed to.

"I also wanted to ask about the Thief King..." Ryou said, careful to keep his voice quiet. He was out of his house now.

**Why?**

The spirit sounded defensive. Ryou could picture his mirror's image with his arms crossed. Ryou soon realised his mouth was better kept closed. He stumbled over his reply, not quite brave enough to admit he wanted to know more; or that he wasn't sure who would know if the spirit had lied. The Other Yugi seemed his best bet.

"...I wondered if he knew of the story." That was a half-truth. It sounded like a lie anyway. "Maybe you knew each other in a past life, maybe this'll jog his memory."

Ryou had meant the last bit as a joke, as unfunny as it was. The darkness from the Ring let him know Bakura hadn't listened lightheartedly. Mentally, Ryou face palmed himself. Why did he bother talking to the spirit like this? It wasn't as though Bakura took it as one of his friends.

**That fool knows nothing. Nothing.**

Ryou nodded, warily. He watched his shoes meet the pavement as he walked, listened to the early birds singing. There were more productive things to dwell on than the distaste the two Millennium spirits held towards each other.

**Why ask him about it? What could he possibly know that I don't?**

Ryou bit his lip. He felt the Ring rumble against his chest. He didn't bother replying before the Ring was warm and irritated again.

**You think I'm lying? Tch. What reason would I have to? This is as much of an inconvenience to me as it is to you.**

Ryou didn't dispute the fact that he thought Bakura was lying, he sighed to himself. Bakura might not have had a reason to lie but he didn't have any reason not to, either. Ryou couldn't help feeling apprehensive.

"What's wrong with me asking him?" Right, there weren't many reasons as to why Bakura wouldn't want the Other Yugi to know about the situation. No reason other than petty rivalry-- unless this all linked into some sort of evil plan.

**Is it so wrong not to want him to know about... this... before we have some sort of lead?**

"Do you have a better idea?" Ryou asked under his breath, the streets were beginning to fill up so he kept his voice as quiet as possible. Not to mention, he'd almost made it to Yugi's house.

There was a silence between them as Ryou continued making his way through the street. A contemplative silence, Ryou imagined, but he didn't know quite what the spirit felt at all.

**Fine, do it. Just keep the gory details to yourself.**

"Right," Ryou agreed, mostly to keep the spirit agreeable.

Ryou raced his shadow down the block, he could see Kame game shop ahead. He walked fast, if he went fast enough he had a suspicion that his shadow would break away and leave him a free man. Nothing seemed as frightening.

He could see old Sugoroku Mutou outside the shop, broom in hand. He was rubbing his back with his spare hand as Anzu doting over him. Grandpa Mutou was obviously playing it up a little, smiling in delight whenever his face was out of Anzu's view. Coughing in pain when she was doting over him. Ryou sweat-dropped.

Ryou saw Anzu look up and clock him, mouthing something to Sugoroku as Ryou jogged over. They waved heartily, which Ryou returned.

Ryou remembered Yugi saying him and Anzu walked to school together. He hadn't known he'd meant every day. This would prove to be a slight setback, perhaps. The spirit said nothing.

"Hi Bakura!" Anzu said as he got closer. Sugoroku waved with a look of disappointment at losing Anzu's attention.

Ryou greeted the two back, waving shyly. He couldn't help the feeling he wasn't very welcome here.

"Here to see Yugi, are you?" Sugoroku asked, still leant over somewhat. Anzu tilted her head also. Ryou nodded, hoping it wouldn't be too much of an issue if it was one at all. "Oh ho ho, that grandson of mine, he's gotten so popular these last few years."

Ryou nodded again, unsure of what to say. The Ring rumbled as though it were laughing at him. His smile wavered.

"That's strange," Anzu said, looking at him. Ryou found sweat prickling at the back of his head but chose to ignore it. "Not in a bad way," as though she could read Ryou's put off-ness, "I don't think we've ever walked to school together. It'll be nice."

Ryou smiled and agreed, couldn't help but feel guilty. It wasn't as though he had ulterior motives but the fact Bakura had involvement in this made him feel like he did. He held in a long sigh, it was always like this when the spirit was involved. 

"Yeah, I don't think we have either," Ryou said, holding his tongue before he spilt why he was here. It was better if no one knew that Ryou was up to anything yet. Which he wasn't. He just had a few questions.

Anzu only gave Ryou an inquisitive look, opening her mouth before their attention was caught by the entrance of the shop. They watched and listened, or rather, eavesdropped.

In the silence between them, it was easy to hear the unmistakable sound of something crashing and the sound of a mother's lecturing. Yugi profusely apologising for something. Anzu and Ryou exchanged a look. Sugoroku shook his head and began sweeping again, bad back forgotten.

"Hi Anzu!" Yugi said after bursting through the front door, his school blazer had obviously been chucked on haphazardly and his face held a puffiness that came from newly awakening. His gaze met Ryou after a quick second, Yugi blinked then before smiling widely. "Oh, and Bakura too."

Anzu greeted him warmly, sparkles in her eyes. Ryou tried not to look too put out before nodding and smiling back.  
"You kids have a good time at school!" Yugi's grandpa called after them when they began their trot.

They fell into step easily. No one thought anything of Ryou's strange arrival, other than Ryou himself, it soon became clear. Anzu and Yugi chattered easily, whereas Ryou was stuck pondering to himself.

But why would they? Ryou thought this particularly hard, as though he might get through to the spirit. It was stupid, but he couldn't help looking for validation. There was nothing wrong with helping his spirit out if the conclusion didn't appear to be a part of an evil plot. What evil could come from finding out about a scar? Although Ryou had no doubt the spirit could-- and probably would-- find a way. He always did, after all.

**Walk ahead. They don't have to know anything.**

Ryou frowned at the words that echoed around his head. He supposed it was true, but he wouldn't do that. Not when they needed answers. He bit his lip to resist replying.

He sighed and shook off his thoughts. He zoned back into the pair's conversation.

"Right, it'll be nice to see him again," Yugi said, smiling up at Anzu. She nodded, though her eyebrows quirked pensively. Then he laughed slightly. "Once we finally got to know him he seemed like a really nice guy. I wonder if he likes arcades?"

Anzu sighed, "It seems like that's all boys your age like, so I don't see why not." She was silent for a second before speaking up again. "I do hopes he's okay! I hope he got the help he needed in the end. But I guess Isis and Rishid would make sure he did..."

Isis and Rishid? Ryou had a vague flashback to Battle City. He pondered on that for a second. He couldn't quite match any names to faces-- but those must've been the names of the other finalist. Shame Ryou could barely remember it at all.

"Isis told me he's doing great," Yugi said. Then, he looked up and addressed them both, "We'll all have to go to the arcade together when he arrives."

"Yeah..." Ryou agreed although he didn't know to what.

"At least then Jounouchi will finally warm up to him!" Anzu shook her head and huffed. "It's like gaming is the only language that boy can communicate with!"

Yugi laughed at that. "If that was the case, he and Kaiba would be best friends!"

Ryou waited for them to finish laughing before he interjected and asked who they were talking about exactly. Anzu looked confused but Yugi grinned knowingly.

"I knew you weren't listening--" Ryou rushed to apologise but Yugi cut him off, "It's okay, it looked like you had a lot on your mind. Marik's coming to Domino for a while. He's going to be staying with me and Grandpa."

 "Oh, alright," Ryou said slowly. No matter how hard he considered the name, swirling it around in his mind, no faces popped up. He had a sneaking feeling that linked 'Marik' with the crazy-haired finalist, but would Yugi invite him to his house? Ryou hoped not.

Then again, there was another boy on the blimp, from what he could remember. The memory was hazy.

"He said that Isis has some documents to show Other Me," Yugi shrugged. He turned to Ryou, "he also said he wanted to talk to you."

"Did he?" That wasn't what he wanted to hear. He didn't even remember the guy. He hoped Bakura didn't have anything to do with this.

"The documents have the translated text of a wall of hieroglyphics that some archaeologists have just managed to translate. Till now they've been considered untranslatable." Yugi looked to be summoning back any more knowledge he had on them. In the end, he shrugs. "He didn't say a lot else."

"I hope it's nothing too exciting..." Anzu said, "Not until we finish this semester."

The mood sobered up at that. It wasn't a secret that the better half of the gang's grade had fallen significantly amidst all the excitement of tournaments and saving the world and whatnot.

Ryou wasn't struggling too bad but he'd seen the other boy's grades had taken a harsh kick and were steadily on the decline. He recalled Jou's grades had fallen so low the school was near threatening action.

Ryou didn't know what 'action' would entail but he doubted it would be dealt with as simply as with a duel.

Speaking of duels, Ryou's hand soon found itself bunched up where the Ring lay against his chest. His eyes found the puzzle, which glinted at every angle the sun hit it. But how could he bring it up?

It was best not to overthink it, he supposed.

Against his better judgement, he instinctively ended up addressing his spirit. "Should I..." He started quietly before he noticed he'd gained both Anzu and Yugi's attention. Ryou immediately froze.

"What was that, Bakura?" Yugi asked, turning to have a good look at him. Anzu was also watching him. Ryou smiled, feeling sweat prickle at the back of his scalp.

"Oh, nothing..." Ryou hit himself mentally. The Ring rumbled against his chest, laughing at him. The annoyance at Bakura gave Ryou a new rush of energy. "Actually, how... How's Other Yugi?"

Anzu perked up, glancing to Yugi then down to the puzzle around his neck. Yugi's eyes also found themselves on a similar trail.

Yugi's eyes unfocused before he too perked up. He smiled down at the item then back up to Ryou.

"He says he's well."

"Oh, is he?" Anzu said, a bit over-eager. Ryou watched her fiddle with her hands for a second, flushing.

Ryou couldn't help but feel like he'd hit a bit of a stalemate. He wanted to check up on Other Yugi-- also to check if he could be in a similar predicament. He had no way to tell if this was a spirit-wide phenomenon. Could Yugi's spirit also be reverting into his past self? Or, if not his 'past self', then a different entity entirely.

Although, he no longer had that much to ask, not wanting to ask about the Thief King if other people were around. For Bakura's sake, if that was his past, he probably didn't want Anzu to hear about it.

"Could we.." Ryou trailed off. "Can we say hi?" He hoped the question didn't seem that unusual-- coming from him, at least.

"Oh can we?" Anzu asked too, though not before sending Ryou a quizzical look. The desire to see the other Yugi out weighted any other feeling. At least Ryou wasn't alone in his conquest, although they were in for two very different reasons.

Yugi stared down at the puzzle, eyes unfocusing. Asking for permission or something. Ryou could feel budding anticipation.

Yugi began refocusing, pulling his head up and giving them a winning smile. "He says 'sure'."

Anzu let out a barely concealed squeal and Ryou nodded, waiting for another catalyst moment.

The puzzle let out a beam of light, shifting around on Yugi's chest as his figure changed somewhat. Soon they both had their eyes feasted upon the cool and skilful not-Yugi.

"Anzu, Bakura," The other Yugi said, nodding to them both.

Ryou blinked once and then again. "Ah, hello." That wasn't as exciting as he'd suspected it would be.

Dark Yugi seemed just as he always had. He held himself confidently and his aura was purely untouchable. He assessed them both with a slight smirk, saying something to Anzu who nodded and blushed.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Other Yugi said, quirking an eyebrow. Ryou suddenly felt flush and unsure.

What do I say? He asked Bakura-- whether Bakura would receive his message or not was a mystery. Ryou felt sweat gathering on his brow. The other Yugi was staring inquisitively at him, a brow quirked.

"Well.." Ryou said, nerves prickling. He laughed bashfully, rubbing the back of his head-- a nervous habit. "Nothing in particular... I just-- well," he bit his lip, "wanted to say hi, I guess."

"We haven't seen you in ages!" Anzu said, voice shrill and girly, maybe she was blushing. Ryou was just glad the attention wasn't all on him now. Yami Yugi's eyes lingered on him for only a second more, only it was one second too long, too uncomfortable, before shifting his attention back to Anzu.

"Right. It's been too long, hasn't it?" Other Yugi said. He wasn't looking at Ryou.

 

.


End file.
